Automatic oiler



m 22, 1933 O F, JENsEN AUTOMAT i C O [LER Filed April 20, 1936 1N VENTOR.

LUF F JENSEN Patented Mar. 22, 1938 PATENT OFF ICE.

AUTOMATIC oILER olur F. Jensen, Council Bluffs, Iowa Application April 20,

6 Claims.

The principal object of my inventionis to provide an automatic oiler for devices having pressure pulsations such as the steam valve and cylinder of a steam engine. r r

A further object of this invention is to provide an automatic oiler that is easily installed and whenonce installed requires no'further attention outside of servicing it with additional oil when the oil is depleted. u

A still further object of this invention is to provide an automatic oiler that may be easily adjusted for furnishing more or less oil over a givenperiodofloperation. I

These and other "objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art; Y 3 1 My invention consists in theiconstruction, :ar-

ran'g'ementand combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects'contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side sectional view of my device ready for use. a

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of my automatic oiler.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side sectional .view of the 7 oil regulator valve.

One of the hardest mechanisms to oil and keep oiled are those mechanisms wherein an inter mittent. fluctuating pressure is experienced.

-A casein pointis' the steam'valve and piston of a steam engine-workingunder varying load and speed conditions. Obviously any attempt to force oil into a chamber having steam pressure is most diflicult as it seriously afiects, not only the injection'of the oil into the chamber and working parts, but makes such introduction of oil questionable and not uniform. 'I'h'ave overcome this by providing an oil'er thatsuccessfully operates by virtue of the pulsation of pressure leading to parts to be lubricated,-such asexists between the throttle valve and main valve of a steamen gine; r v 1 Referring to the drawing, '1 have used the numeral III to designate the enclosed housing of my 'oiler. This housing has a hollow stem portion, II, extending completely through it, as shown in Fig. 1. The lower end of thisstem portion I I is threaded and designed to be screwed into the wall of the steam pipe or valve chamber leading to the parts to be oiled. Obviously the inside of this stem portion II must communicate with the inside of the cylinder or like to be oiled. The numeral I3 designates a block portion formed on top of the housing II). has a vertical passageway l-d extending com- This block portion I3 1936, Serial No. 75,360

pletely through it andcommunicating with the inside of the housing Ill. The numeral l5 designates a screw cap for detachably closing the uppertop open end of the passageway I4. Also threaded in this passageway I 4 and normally resting under the closing cap I5 is the oil regulating valve. This oil regulating valve .has a casing of two parts which I have designated by the numerals I6 and I7, as shown in Fig. 3. These two'sections I6 and I'lare threaded together and to all intents and purposes form a single valve casing having the vertical passageway I8 extending completely'through'it. Inside this valve "casing is an enlarged compartment I9 having both of its ends communicating with a passageway I8, as shown in Fig. 3. Thisenlarged compartment I9 provides space for the operation and reciprocation of movable portion 20 of the valve and has both of its ends beveled or conical as shown in Fig. 3, to provide valve seats in both directions. The movable portion of the valve 20 is pointed at both of its ends in order that when it is moved upwardly it will seat at the upper valve seat in the enlarged chamber I9, and when it is moved downwardly it will seat in the lower seat of the enlarged compartment I9; thereby closing the passageway I8 by movement in either direction. This member 20 has a diameter less than the inside diameter'of the enlarged compartment I9, and is permitted a-certain amount of longitudinal reciprocation, as shown in Fig. 3. The numeral 2 I designates a stem secured to the lower end of the member 20 and extending downwardly into the passageway I 4 through the passageway I8. The numeral -22 designates a nut threaded onto or otherwise secured to the lower end portion of the stem 'ZI. The numeral 23 designates a coil spring embracing the stem 2i and having one of its ends engaging the nut22,

and its other end engaging the member H, as is shown inFig..3, 'for yieldingly holding the member 21] in engagement with thelower seat of the enlarged compartment I9. The numeral 24 designatcs a'- passageway in the block I3, having one end communicatingwith the inside of the passageway ofzthestem I I and its other end communicating with the passageway, abovethe oil regulating valve and below the cap I5, as shown in Fig. 1.

The numeral "2-5 designates a hollow stem extending downwardly in the housing -I0 and terminating near; the bottom of the housing ID. The passageway of this hollow stem 25 communicates with thebottom of the housing 1 I0. and the outside top of the housing I0. The numeral Izfi desigthe passageway 24,

nates a fixed valve seat in the upper portion of the passageway of the stem 25. The numeral 21 designates a detachable plate rigidly secured on top of the housing l0 and over the passageway of the stem 25.

The under side of this plate 21 has a slight depression for receiving the central portion of the diaphragm element 28. This diaphragm plate 28 is rigidly secured at its marginal edge by being clamped between the peripheral edge of the plate 21 and the top of the housing I0, thereby closing the passageway of the stem 25 to the outside atmosphere. The numeral 29 designates a movable valve portion rigidly secured on the bottom of the diaphragm plate 28, and capable of seating in the valve seat 26, for closing the passageway in the stem 25. The numeral 30 designates a coil spring having its upper end engaging the plate 21 and its lower end engaging the top of the diaphragm for yieldingly holding the valve member 29 seated in the valve seat 26. The numeral 3| designates a hollow dome member threaded on to the upper end portion of the stem H and communicating with the inside of the passageway of the stem H the upper end of the stem ll terminating near the inside top of the dome as shown in Fig. 1. The numeral 32 designates a second passageway in the stem H communicating with the inside bottom of the dome. The numeral 33 designates a passageway in the top portion of the housing I0, having one end communicating with the passageway 32 and its other end communicating with the outside top of the housing It] at a point under the diaphragm 28. The numeral 34 designates a filling plug threaded into the top of the housing In. The numeral 35 designates a drain plug threaded into the bottom of the housing [0.

The practical operation of the device is as follows: After my automatic oiler has been installed and filled with oil, when the steam valve or throttle is opened to start the engine, steam will pass upwardly through the stem ll and into the dome 3|. It is possible that this steam will be condensed inside the dome, but at any rate the condensed steam or steam will pass downwardly through the passageway 32 into the passageway 33 and to a position under the diaphragm 28, thereby raising it against the action of the spring 30.

With the diaphragm 28 in an upper position the movable valve element 29 will be off of its seat and the steam or condensate will pass downwardly through the stem 25 to the bottom of the housing I0, where all of it then is reduced to liquid. As this condensate will be water the oil in the housing I0 will be supported by the water and will be forced into the passageway I4 with a slightly greater pressure on the bottom side of the valve element than on the top side owing to the weight of the water in condensing dome or passageway 32. It is obvious that when the steam valve opens the steam port to the engine cylinder there will be a momentary reduction in pressure in the valve chamber [2 and inside the stem l l and the pressure of the oil in the passageway l4 will be momentarily greater than that in thereby permitting the spring 23 to compress, allowing the valve element 20 to move upwardly to seat in the upper end of the compartment Hi. In other words, every backward and forward movement of the piston will cause a pulsation of pressure inside the device thereby reciprocating the valve element 20 and permitting very small amounts of oil to pass by the reciprocating valve element 20 and into the passageway 24. This oil will naturally find its way into the stem H and flow down into the cylinder [2. It will be noted that the valve 20 operates to conform with the pulsating pressure that intermittently exists in the passageway 24. Due to the close fit and short movement of the member 20 the oil fed into the cylinder will be a very small amount. Obviously, the amount of oil fed into the cylinder will depend on the relative diameters of the member 20 and the inside of the compartment [9 and also the distance of the movement of the member 20. Therefore the amount of oil to be fed may be predetermined by the size of the unit used. They may be made in various sizes and be changed at will by removing cap screw l5.

It will also be noted that when the steam throttle is closed and no pressure exists inside the stem II, water can not be forced upwardly through the stem 25 and into the stem H by existing pressure because of the diaphragm 28 which moves downwardly to close the passageway in the stem 25 when the pressure is relieved from the under side of the diaphragm. From this it will be seen that as the device uses oil a proportionate amount of condensate will be placed in the bottom of the device and all of the oil will be used before the water reaches the passageway l4. Obviously when the device has had all of the oil in it depleted it will be completely filled with water. The purpose of diaphragm 28, valve 29 and spring 30 is to retain oil in housing In when the throttle valve is closed. Were it not for that the hot oil would expand when relieved of pressure and find its way out through hollow stem I! and into the engine where it would boil when relieved of pressure. To replenish the device with oil the member would be removed to drain the water from the device, after which the member 35 is replaced and the member 34 removed in order to refill the device with oil. After oil has been replaced in the device the member 34 is screwed back into place.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of my improved automatic oiler without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, a housing designed to contain oil, a conduit having one of its ends communicating with the bottom of said housing and its other end in communication with a fluid supplied under alternating pressures, an oil conduit having one end communicating with the top of said housing and its other end communicating with the inside of said first mentioned conduit, a diaphragm operated valve imposed in said first mentioned conduit for closing said conduit to the inside of said housing when a reduction of pressure is experienced inside said first mentioned conduit, and a movable valve mechanism imposed in said last mentioned conduit.

2. In a device of the class described, a housing designed to contain an oil, a conduit having one end designed to be in communication with a fiuid supplied under alternating pressure and its other end in communicating with the bottom of said housing, an oil conduit having one end communicating with the inside top of said housing and its other end communicating with the inside of said first mentioned conduit, a diaphragm operated valve imposed in said first mentioned conduit for closing said conduit to the inside oi said housing when a reduction of fluid pressure is experienced inside said first mentioned conduit, and a two way valve mechanism imposed in said last mentioned conduit.

3. In a device of the class described, a housing designed to contain an oil, a conduit having one end designed to be in communication with a fluid supplied under alternating pressure and its other end communicating with the inside bottom of said housing, an oil conduit having one end communicating with the inside top of said housing and its other end communicating with the inside of said first mentioned conduit, a diaphragm operated valve imposed in said first mentioned conduit for closing said conduit to the inside of said housing when a reduction. of fluid pressure is experienced inside said first mentioned conduit, two opposed valve seats in said second mentioned conduit, and a reciprocating valve element between said two valve seats capable of engaging either of said valve seats for closing said second mentioned conduit at times.

4. In a device of the class described, a housing designed to contain an oil, a conduit having one end designed to be in communication with a fluid supplied under alternating pressure and its other end communicating with the bottom of said housing, an oil conduit having one end communicating with the inside top of said housing and its other end communicating with the inside of said first mentioned conduit, a diaphragm operated valve imposed in said first mentioned conduit for closing said conduit to the inside of said housing when a reduction of fluid pressure is experienced inside said first mentioned conduit, two opposed valve seats in said second mentioned conduit, a reciprocating valve element between said two valve seats capable of engaging either of said valve seats for closing said second mentioned conduit at times, and a means for yieldingly holding said reciprocating valve element in one direction.

5. In an automatic oiler, a housing designed to contain an oil, a hollow vertical stem secured to said housing and designed to have its lower end in communication with a fluid supplied under alternating pressure, a block portion on said housing having a passageway in communication with the inside of said hollow stem and the inside top of said housing, a two-way reciprocating valve mechanism imposed in said passageway, a hollow vertical stem extending downwardly into said housing and terminating near the bottom of said housing, a diaphragm secured to the top of said housing and over said last mentioned hollow vertical stem, a valve member on said diaphragm capable of closing the passageway of said last mentioned hollow stem, a closed dome element communicating with the inside top of said first mentioned hollow stem, and apassageway having one end communicating with the inside of said dome element and its other end communicating with the under side of said diaphragm.

6. In a device of the class described, a housing designed to contain an. oil, a conduit having one end designed to be in communication with a fluid supplied under alternating pressure and its other end communicating with the inside bottom of said housing, an oil conduit having one end communicating with the inside top of said housing and its other end operatively communicating with said alternating fluid pressure, a diaphragm operated valve imposed in said first mentioned conduit for closing said conduit to the. inside of said housing when a reduction of the pressure is experienced inside said first mentioned conduit, and a movable valve mechanism in said oil conduit.

OLUF F. JENSEN. 

